Many people claim that protein shakes actually cause us to gain weight, rather than lose it. This isn't necessarily the case – in fact, it all depends on what's in your protein shake and how you use it.
If you're aiming for weight loss rather than bulking up, choose a high-quality protein powder that is meant to be a meal replacement. What this means is that you won't be adding the protein shake to your regular meals, but substituting it for a meal – usually breakfast or lunch. Choose a complete protein meal replacement like Naturade's VeganSmart All-In-One Nutritional Shake. It includes all of the essential amino acids, 22 vitamins and minerals, fiber (which makes you feel full) and omega-3s. Also, VeganSmart protein powder is low in fat and has zero cholesterol.
When you substitute a protein shake made with VeganSmart, you can be sure you're getting the nutrients your body needs while consuming less calories per day. However, if your goal is weight loss, don't add ingredients that are high in calories like peanut butter or oatmeal. Instead, just mix 2 scoops with water or your favorite drink, shake and enjoy!


US weekly jobless claims:
[ad_1]
One man is seen walking past a “We are Hiring” sign outside a Arlington, Virginia restaurant on June 3, 2022.
AFP | AFP | Getty Images
The Labor Department reports that initial jobless claims rose to the highest point since mid-January despite strong signs of employment.
First-time filingsFor the week ending June 4, the total reached 229,000. This is 27,000 more than the revised upwardly in the previous period, and well above the 210,000 Dow Jones estimate.
Jan. 15 was the last time that initial claims reached this high.
However, continued claims, which were a week behind headline numbers, were unaffected at just over 1 million. This is lower than the FactSet estimate 1.35million.
The 4-week moving average of continuing claims (which accounts for the volatility in the numbers) fell slightly to 1.32million, its lowest point since Jan. 10, 1970.
This increase in claims is less than one week after the Bureau of Labor Statistics had reported it. nonfarm payrolls increased by 390,000 in MayThis is a lot better than I expected.
Despite rising concerns about the U.S. economic health, companies have maintained their hiring practices. could be headed for a shallow recessionInflation is on the rise, but global supply chain remain blocked.
[ad_2]


Despite progress in the treatment of tumors, resistance to chemotherapy drugs and inter-individual differences in sensitivity to drug treatment remain a substantial obstacle to the healing of many patients. TICheP project aims to develop an
innovative technological framework for the development of a personalized chemotherapy allowing reduced toxicity treatment. It will use ovarian carcinoma as a model, but it has the potential for extension to other types of tumors.
Project co-funded by the Regional Operational Program (POR) FESR 2014-2020 “Investimenti a favore della crescita e dell’occupazione” – Activity 1.3.b – DGR No. 1489/2017. Total eligible project expenditure: €1,185,420.00 – Total funded project contribution: €862,037.00. Operation start date 05/11/2018. Operation end date 05/02/2022 (updated figure).


A
Vermont rent-to-own agreement allows a tenant to lease property with the opportunity to buy at a specific point during the agreement term. This leasing arrangement is intended for prospective owners who wish to enter the real estate market but have poor credit or are otherwise unable to obtain a mortgage.
Before moving in, the tenant may be required to pay a deposit to acquire exclusive buying rights, although the agreement does not bind them to the sale. The provisions included in the agreement allow the tenant to either receive a fixed price for the property, be granted the right to take the place of another potential buyer offering a qualifying purchase, or agree to negotiate the purchasing terms with the landlord.
Rental Laws – Title 9, Ch. 137 (Residential Rental Agreements) Purchase Agreement Laws – Title 27, Ch. 5 (Conveyances of Real Estate) Disclosures (1) Lead-Based Paint Disclosure – Prospective tenants of a building predating 1978 must be informed of the potential risks associated with living in a dwelling containing lead-based paint.
Download: PDF


This event has passed. Engaging Youth in urban transformation April 10, 2018 @ 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
The Mediterranean region is in the middle of a strong spatial transformation linked to population growth, widespread urbanisation and deep socio-economic changes. This transformation is particularly evident in cities. In a context characterised by the disengagement of the State and weak local finances, the Mediterranean towns are or will be faced with the management of the contradictory goals. On the one hand they strive for achieving integration in a globalising economy, whereas on the other they have to cope with the growing difficulties to meet the needs of the local population, and to manage sustainable urban environment, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (in particular the SGD11). In this regard, local authorities bring unique added value to sustainable development in the region. They are key to mobilizing different stakeholders to collaborate, thus generating cooperative approaches for pursuing common development goals. Due to their proximity and territorial presence, as well as knowledge of local needs, local authorities can participate greatly in maximising the effects of development assistance by bilateral and multilateral donor institutions. However, local capacities for decision-making and management are generally limited due to a limited transfer of resources and a lack of an effective multi-level governance system.
The seminar explored the role of local authorities in improving the liveability of Mediterranean urban areas, focusing on youth as a key driver for stability in the region.


The Energy Poverty Advisory Hub (EPAH), the Covenant of Mayors – Europe and ENPOR are jointly organising a lunch talk to discuss about the EU municipalities’ experiences and practices regarding the current energy crisis, focusing on how vulnerable consumers are taken into account in these emergency energy saving measures in the context of the Cities Energy Saving Sprint, a joint initiative of the European Commission, the Covenant of Mayors – Europe and the European Committee of the Regions to support cities in taking measures that will immediately reduce their energy consumption.
The current geopolitical context is challenging the energy system in Europe. The consequences of the economic and energy crisis are hitting European citizens hard. The rising energy prices are indeed
increasing the pressure on the most vulnerable people and are accentuating energy poverty situations.
Structural measures, as Fit for 55 packages and the recent REPowerEU plan, set the long-term path to make Europe independent from Russian fossil fuels before 2030 and achieve climate neutrality by 2050. However, emergency and short-term measures must be taken to address the direct consequences of the crisis, the most important of which is the increase of energy prices. Alongside the Save Gas for a Safe Winter plan, proposed by the Commission to reduce gas consumption,
local governments are responding to the challenges to help vulnerable consumers against energy shortages and rising energy prices by adopting extraordinary measures and practical solutions.
This discussion should lead to get inspiration on how to take actions in local contexts regarding the rising energy poverty.
The event will take place entirely online.


Over the past 3 decades, numerous delirium assessments have been developed and validated to be used by nonpsychiatrists. However, there is no perfect delirium assessment as they all have tradeoffs.
In general, if a delirium assessment is brief (<2 minutes), then you will have to sacrifice diagnostic accuracy. Delirium assessments with high diagnostic accuracy (>90% sensitivity
and 90% specificity) typically take longer to perform and require extensive training to perform reliably. Briefer and simpler-to-use delirium assessments often sacrifice diagnostic accuracy. If diagnostic accuracy is sacrificed, then sensitivity is often sacrificed for specificity and vice versa.


Every Spring, I scout deals at my local garden center. I mostly ooh and aah at the beautiful plants I can’t afford, but one day, I noticed a rolling shelf rack shoved in the corner. It contained battered and broken plants, discounted to 50 cents each. I pondered for a moment what may have caused their misfortune, and I walked away.
I selected some seed packets and headed to the register. Glancing at the cart of the small, elderly lady ahead of me, I saw at least a dozen of those dead-and-dying 50¢ plants. Timidly, I tapped her on the shoulder. “What are you going to do with those?”
With a face that had seen too much Florida sun and blue eyes beaming with sheer wisdom, she smiled and whispered, “I have a beautiful gar-den blooming with plants that would have been thrown away…a little love and gentle tending go a long way.”
I leaned in, bewildered. “Occasionally,” she said, “one is too badly dam-aged, but not often. Oh, and singing while you garden. Singing helps.”
Every Spring since, I look for her in that store, eager to tell her that I, too, now have a yard filled with a rainbow of blooms once doomed for the dumpster. I’ve never paid full price for a plant since our meeting, and I won’t—as long as there’s a Dead Rack.
—By Lynn Perry of Merritt Island, FL.
This article was published originally in 2022, in GreenPrints Issue #129.


Vitreous hemorrhage in the newborn, first described by Schleich1 in 1890, is a rare occurrence. The differential
diagnoses include birth trauma, Terson syndrome, disseminated intravascular
coagulation, galactosemia,2 and retinopathy
of prematurity. Nonaccidental trauma, such as shaken baby syndrome, is a diagnosis
of exclusion, which must be considered in all cases.
Noel L, Botash AS, DeSilva A. Maternal Antiphospholipid Antibodies and Vitreous Hemorrhages in the Newborn: A Case Report. Arch Ophthalmol. 2001;119(6):914–916. doi:
© 2022
Monkeypox Resource Center
Customize your JAMA Network experience by selecting one or more topics from the list below.


Abstract
Viral evolutionary pathways are determined by the fitness landscape, which maps viral genotype to fitness. However, a quantitative description of the landscape and the evolutionary forces on it remain elusive. Here, we apply a biophysical fitness model based on capsid folding stability and antibody binding affinity to predict the evolutionary pathway of norovirus escaping a neutralizing antibody. The model is validated by experimental evolution in bulk culture and in a drop-based microfluidics that propagates millions of independent small viral subpopulations. We demonstrate that along the axis of binding affinity, selection for escape variants and drift due to random mutations have the same direction, an atypical case in evolution. However, along folding stability, selection and drift are opposing forces whose balance is tuned by viral population size. Our results demonstrate that predictable epistatic tradeoffs between molecular traits of viral proteins shape viral evolution.
Keywords Fitness landscape Folding stability Lab evolution Microfluidics Neutralizing antibody Viral evolution ASJC Scopus subject areas Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics Molecular Biology Genetics


Recent developments in technology, personal communications and the internet has seen devices such as smart phones, tablets and computers play an increasingly important role in the lives of young people.
However, this increasingly connected world brings with it certain dangers that means that we as parents must remain actively involved and vigilant about our children’s online activities.
We believe in providing children and young people with the information they need to stay safe online and want to support parents to continue this important conversation with their children at home.


We all feel down in the dumps from time to time. However, when a low mood takes over it may
A recent paper published in Sexuality Research and Social Policy explores how taking a biopsychosocial approach to sexual health —
Talking about sexual health can make many of us feel uncomfortable. Normalizing these conversations remains an important focus for reducing


-Trained workforce with a technical background-Highly populated area-Most data centers get their primary electricity from the wider municipal electric grid. The facility will then either have one or several transformers in place to take in the energy, while also ensuring the power coming in is of the right voltage and the right type of current (converted from AC to DC typically).-Require significant infrastructure to support the center’s hardware and software, including power subsystems, uninterruptible power supplies, ventilation, cooling systems, fire suppression, backup generators, and connections to external networks.


A Participatory Approach for Data Work
The opacity of machine learning data is a significant threat to ethical data work and intelligible systems. Previous research has addressed this issue by proposing standardized checklists to document datasets. This paper expands that field of inquiry by proposing a shift of perspective: from documenting datasets toward documenting data production. We draw on participatory design and collaborate with data workers at two companies located in Bulgaria and Argentina, where the collection and annotation of data for machine learning are outsourced. Our investigation comprises 2.5 years of research, including 33 semi-structured interviews, five co-design workshops, the development of prototypes, and several feedback instances with participants. We identify key challenges and requirements related to the integration of documentation practices in real-world data production scenarios. Our findings comprise important design considerations and highlight the value of designing data documentation based on the needs of data workers. We argue that a view of documentation as a boundary object, i.e., an object that can be used differently across organizations and teams but holds enough immutable content to maintain integrity, can be useful when designing documentation to retrieve heterogeneous, often distributed, contexts of data production.


Objective: The widely accepted h-index depends on the citation analysis source and does not consider the authorship position, the journal's impact factor (IF), or the age of the paper or author. We investigated these factors in citation statistics of academic neurosurgeons. Methods: An uncorrected h-index and the m-quotient, which corrects for career length, were calculated by the use of Scopus and Google Scholar. In a subset of neurosurgeons, we computed the contemporary h-index (hc), which accounts for the age of the publications; the authorship value (AV), weighted by author position; and the journal IF. An "overall' average for AV and IF including most of an author's publications and an average for publications comprising the h-index ("h-index core") were calculated. Results: When we used Google Scholar, the mean h-index was significantly greater than that calculated when we used Scopus (P = 0.0030). m-quotient and hc-index increased with academic rank, with an m-quotient >1 achieved by 69% of chairmen and 48% of professors. The effect of AV was greatest on the greater h-indices. The average IF for the h-index core was greater than the overall IF, which did not correlate with academic rank. Few neurosurgeons consistently publish in high-impact journals. Conclusion: Google Scholar tends to inflate the h-index. The m-quotient and hc-index allow comparisons of researchers across time. Although average journal IF did not differ significantly among neurosurgeons academic ranks, it should be noted for individuals who consistently publish in high-impact journals. We recommend the creation of individual bibliometric profiles to better compare the academic productivity of neurosurgeons. Keywords: AV; Authorship; Authorship value; Bibliometrics; Contemporary h-index; Google scholar; Impact factor; Neurosurgery; Scopus; h-index; hc; m-quotient.
Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


Cloud Based Services
Traditional technology environments can make it difficult for businesses to scale and respond to changing market demands. Adopting cloud-based infrastructure is crucial to delivering flexible, on-demand access to technologies.
While businesses understand the benefit of cloud computing, ensuring that the move to the cloud happens in the most optimal way is extremely complex. Our Cloud solutions are designed to help you migrate and scale up, optimize and accelerate as well as innovate and execute in cost effective ways.
Cloud transformation and migration refers to the process of moving to a cloud-based architecture from a legacy on-premise architecture. This process is often more complex than a simple ‘lift and shift’ approach. Instead, it calls for a complete transformation of the organization’s IT infrastructure. Technogen Inc brings in the required expertise to make this a seamless and structured process.
Cloud optimization involves the process of ensuring that an organization is optimizing the use of its cloud resources by leveraging them for the right applications and workload. The right balance of performance and cost ensures that the cloud infrastructure operates with the highest efficiency.
DevOps is a set of practices that help integrate the processes between software development and IT teams to drastically cut down on development time. TechnoGen helps organizations embrace the DevOps methodology and accrue maximum benefits.
TechnoGen has access to a set of tools and procedures help businesses to monitor and secure applications and workloads, whether they are housed across multiple clouds or partially on-premise. This enables seamless orchestration of the cloud infrastructure for smooth operations.


Food, air, water, and shelter. People need these to survive. The Earth provides resources for all these things. Natural resources are materials found on the Earth. They include air, water, and land. They also include rocks, minerals, and soil. Even living things are natural resources. These are the building blocks of all the things we need to live.
Some of Earth's resources can be used over and over. These are called renewable resources. Others can't be replaced quickly. These are called nonrenewable resources.
Renewable resources can be used and replaced over and over again. Examples of renewable natural resources are fresh air, water, and soil. These materials are replaced by nature at a fairly fast rate.


Break Talk series at Extentia on 'Financial health and well-being.' Pune, India, June 01, 2022
Gone are the days when people believed in savings for future security. Idle money kept stocked up in your locker or saving in a bank account may not really serve its purpose. If you want your money to grow, then it's time you consider investing. As part of the Break Talk series, we had an informative session on " Financial health and well-being" hosted by Balvir Chawla on May 12, 2022. He shared how many investors have advocated for SIP, i.e. Systematic Planned Investment, as it allows you to invest in a disciplined and strategic manner.
The reason SIP has been deemed one of the tried and tested methods of investment amidst market volatility and interest rate hikes is because investors can benefit from the power of compounding. It allows you to invest a fixed amount, which can be as small as Rs.500 on a regular interval in a mutual fund. Balvir reiterated during the session, that money should be seen as a finite resource and should be used wisely rather than splurged mindlessly. A video named, 'One Idiot' was also featured, that vividly captures the diaspora of people that have diligently started investing and those who are unwilling to explore the possibilities of doing so. The session put across a very strong message of steering clear of making wrong financial choices and considering SIP for gaining significant returns.


Since 2015, we’ve supported start-ups through Fortune 500 organizations to align their good intentions with meaningful and long-term impact. As a full service diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) consulting firm, our approach is evidence-based, data-informed, and paired with leading practices. We combine our industry expertise, lived experience, and values to help you transform your workplace.
Whether it be an assessment to identify bias and surface new insights, actionable organization-wide DEI strategies, customized webinars (can include up to 250 participants), workshops, or eLearning curriculum to fit your team’s needs - we have the right solution for you. Take advantage of our knowledge and solutions, and transform your workplace to align with your good intentions.
We’re major advocates of the DEI industry and care deeply about how it continues to grow. Right now, there’s little quality control and almost anyone can call themselves a practitioner, so we advocate for rigorous standards and shared communities of practice in the field. Check out our latest insights, open-sourced resources, and tools.
" Feminuity’s approach to educating the corporate world and their level of research and responsiveness is second to none. They were responsible for Intelex's journey while I was there and it was the best investment. "
" Feminuity delivered a customized foundational DEI training to our team when I was leading #MoveTheDial. The training was thorough, interactive, and it provided us with tactical outputs to embed into our day-to-day lives, both personally and professionally. Highly recommend! "
" The team at Feminuity has deep experience in the DEI sector. I hired Feminuity to support my team—when I was at Autodesk—to further our efforts through engagement at our flagship event, Autodesk University, and consult with us on our first European women’s summit. "


When you develop content for social media pages, it is important to follow the popular trends in the industry. Developing content for social media requires a different approach altogether. You may reach out to the reputed digital marketing companies for social media marketing services. The experts will develop captivating content for you. It is necessary to integrate certain strategies for creating content for your social media pages.
Here are certain guidelines, that will assist you to produce engaging content for your social media pages.
1. Develop Real-Time Content:
When you write for the social media, it is important to identify the trending topics and develop content based on them. The audience on the social media find timely content more engaging. After identifying your target audiences, you need to gather information on programs and events that they would be attending. Your content should revolve around these events, which will draw them to your blog. You can reach out to the established companies for
smo services. This can strengthen your social media marketing strategy to a great extent.
2. Sharing Informative Infographics:
One of the most effective ways to make your social media content engaging is to share informative infographics. These include facts, statistics, images and information, making it easy for the readers to understand them. You can also use visual infographics. Business firms also use basic graphics and images along with the content. The social media marketing experts will guide you about what type of pictures or images you need to use with a certain
content.
3. Focus on Customer Feedback:
Social media is a great platform to seek the feedback of your customers. When you publish blogs and articles, the social media users go through them and post their comments. It is necessary to reply back to these comments, as it fosters greater customer engagement. Besides, you can seek their feedback through surveys, simple questions and polls. You need to respond to the complaints of your customers and address the same at the earliest. Focussing on the feedback is a great way to identify your loopholes.
4. Posting Personal Content:
It is recommended to post personal content in your blogs. These should have a human side and reflect your care for the customers. You can reach out to the
social media marketing experts to develop these contents. This will help you to establish a deeper bond with your customers. Make your content as humanized as possible. You can also use humor as one of the elements in your content. This ensures that the readers will find the content engaging.
5. Thanking the Followers:
Well, you should try to develop a closer bond with your followers. You can share the content that your followers have created on your social media pages. When you thank them in this process, they are more likely to engage in interactions on your social media pages. Evidently, you can develop the much-needed bond with your customers.
Apart from these strategies, you can also upload the popular hashtags that are trending at a particular time. Get across to the reputed companies for smo services and make your social media content more engaging.


Study: Adherence to PrEP Increases Prevention of HIV However, lack of access and awareness about pre-exposure prophylaxis, medication cost, and underestimating disease risk are all barriers to PrEP.
Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) helps prevent HIV, with 100% efficacy among individuals who adhere well to treatment.
However, the lack of access and awareness about PrEP, medication cost, and underestimating HIV risk are all barriers.
The stigma and structural inequities in education about PrEP can help close the gaps, according to investigators of a study, published in the
Canadian Medical Association Journal
Health care providers can help facilitate more access by advocating for systemic changes, learning more about PrEP, and starting more conversations with patients to destigmatize the therapy, , investigators said.
In the study, investigators stated that results from various observational studies, and randomized controlled trials showed that daily use of PrEP was almost 100% effective among bisexual, gay, and other men who have sex with men (GBM), when adherence was high.
Additionally, depending on adherence, the efficacy of PrEP was as high as 95% for heterosexual exposure, according to the study results.
The indication for PrEP is based on the likelihood of high-risk exposure to transmissible HIV, which includes HIV-positive with viral load of greater than 40 copies/mL, when HIV status is unknown but from a population with high HIV prevalence, investigators said.
In addition, high-risk exposure from HIV-positive sources includes needle sharing and receptive anal intercourse.
Additionally, recommendations for PrEP should take into consideration the individual’s risk factors and local epidemiology and should include shared decision-making between patients and their physicians, investigators said.
Investigators emphasized that individuals should not be denied PrEP if they self-identify as high risk outside the recommendations.
Because most efforts to increase usage of PrEP in Canada, as well as other countries, have focused largely on GBM, other groups at risk for HIV, such as individuals who inject drugs and women, have been underappreciated.
Even for those who do have an elevated risk, acceptability and low awareness about PrEP have contributed to the lower rates of those in high-risk groups receiving the therapy, investigators said.
For example, GBM who are considered “less out” or do not identify as gay have been linked to discomfort with disclosure of their sexual orientation out of fear that PrEP will “out” them and less PrEP awareness and knowledge.
Additionally, other individuals, including those who are Black and Indigenous, have been associated with less awareness and knowledge of PrEP, according to the investigators.
To address these barriers, the investigators recommend that physicians should start discussions round HIV and PrEP as part of routine preventative health care.
PrEP should be considered standard care for those who have bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs) or those undergoing STI testing, investigators said.
These conversations provides a safe space for patients and physicians to discuss HIV and PrEP to combat the stigma around sexual orientation and substance use disorder.
Physicians should further educate themselves about these topics to help facilitate these conversations with patients, and technology can be used to increase access to PrEP for patients, investigators said.
Reference
Hempel A, Biondi MJ, Baril J, Tan DHS. Pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV: effective and underused.
CMAJ. 2022;194(34)E1164-E1170. doi:10.1503/cmaj.220645


Over the course of a marriage, it might not be uncommon for a couple to accumulate various types of wealth and assets. Should a couple in Alabama choose to take separate paths in life, reaching a fair and equitable agreement for the division of property may be a vital area of focus, but it can also be complex at times. When facing a divorce, one might find it helpful to know that not all assets are equal and taking steps to determine the true value of marital assets may be integral to preparing to protect one’s future.
Value of assets
There may be a variety of aspects that might influence the value of marital assets. One of the first topics to address could pertain to the potential tax ramifications involved with assets such as retirement and investment accounts. Knowing how such issues might affect the value of similar possessions could be vital to making informed choices when preparing a strategy for negotiations.
Assets such as the family home can also play a significant role in the outcome of a divorce. Some topics to consider when weighing one’s options about the family home might include the costs of upkeep and maintenance and costs associated with refinancing or obtaining a new mortgage. Addressing issues such as taxes on capital gains and the financial impact on seeking ownership while transitions into life after a divorce may also be vital to creating a strategy that best aligns with one’s future interests.
Navigating the process
With a multitude of factors to address when identifying and valuing marital assets, facing this aspect of divorce can seem an intimidating task. Individuals in Alabama who remain uncertain of how best to navigate this process might find it helpful to retain the services of a family law attorney in the initial stages of the process. An attorney can help a client cover every essential aspect of dissolving a marriage and assist in preparing a strategy with which to safeguard his or her future during subsequent divorce proceedings.


Divalproex DR vs. Divalproex ER This one often confuses a new student or technician. These generics are the equivalent of the original brand name products Depakote and Depakote ER. Let’s start by discussing the brand names, and then talk about how to manage the generics. Depakote is an enteric coated divalproex sodium tablet that comes in 125mg, 250mg and 500mg strengths. It also comes in a capsule filled with enteric coated pellets that can be swallowed or opened and sprin
The science of Yoga has been used to enhance physical and emotional balance. When yoga is practiced with therapeutic intention, it is known as ‘Yoga Therapy.” Yoga Therapy is practiced to manage or facilitate healing by infusing postures, breathing exercises, meditation, relaxation techniques and more. It is the facet of the ancient science of Yoga, which focuses on health and wellness at all levels of the person: physical, emotional and psychological. Empowering individuals


Oxygen Flow Meters Industry Overview
The global
oxygen flow meters market size is expected to reach USD 1.60 billion by 2028, according to the new report conducted by Grand View Research, Inc. It is expected to expand at a CAGR of 5.9% from 2021 to 2028. The number of infectious and fatal diseases, including cancer and recent coronavirus, has witnessed a significant increase across the globe. This has forced pharmaceutical companies to deliver oxygen supplies, including oxygen flow meters, for such diseases continuously. This is leading to an increased demand for oxygen flow meters across the healthcare sector.
Oxygen Flow Meters Market Segmentation
Grand View Research has segmented the global oxygen flow meters market based on type, application, and region:
Based on the Type Insights, the market is segmented into Double Flange Type, Plug-in Type and Others. The plug-in type segment held the largest revenue share of over 50.0% in 2020 and is anticipated to witness growth over the forecast period. Plug-in type O2 flow meters are majorly used in the healthcare sector, including hospitals, surgical facilities, and clinics. These O2 flow meters are used to monitor or control high-pressurized oxygen delivered from the O2 cylinder. The surge in oxygen demand from the healthcare sector in 2020 due to the recent COVID-19 outbreak has heightened the need for plug-in-type oxygen flow meters. Double flange type flow meters are ideal for measurement applications in sectors, such as industrial, petrochemical, and chemical, owing to the reliability, accuracy, and cost-effectiveness of these meters. Features such as leak resistance, precise flow measurements, reduced clogging, and improved signal stability have created additional opportunities to adopt double flange oxygen flow meters in these industries. As a result, the double flange segment is expected to gain a significant market share through 2028. Based on the Application Insights, the market is segmented into Healthcare, Industrial, Aerospace, Chemical, and Others. The healthcare segment accounted for the largest share of over 60.0% in 2020 and is anticipated to witness considerable growth over the forecast period owing to the industry’s rapid growth. Flow meters are needed in O2 therapy, wherein numerous machines are used to manage O2. Firstly, the O2 passes through a pressure regulator, which controls the high-pressurized O2 supplied from the cylinder. It is administered at low pressure. This lowered pressure is controlled or monitored by a flow meter. Moreover, in Asia Pacific, demand for oxygen keeps cropping up in various sectors, including pharmaceutical and biotechnology, providing an added advantage to manufacturers looking to reach newer consumer bases. In addition, in regions such as the Middle East and Africa, the rise in demand for medical oxygen to treat COVID-19 worsens preexisting gaps in medical oxygen supplies, leading to the increasing demand for ventilators, concentrators, and flow meters . The industrial segment accounted for the second-largest revenue share in 2020. Countries such as India, China, and Southeast Asian countries are witnessing rapid industrial development and urbanization. Industrial oxygen generally needs purity and has no special requirements for other sanitary conditions. Oxygen Flow Meters Regional Outlook North America Europe Asia Pacific South America Middle East & Africa Key Companies Profile & Market Share Insights
Key companies are focusing on new product development, which helps in strengthening their market presence.
Some of the prominent players operating in the global oxygen flow meters market include,
Dwyer Instruments LTD. HERSILL Ohio Medical Precision Medical, Inc. Penlon DZ Medicale Burak Metering Megasan Medical SHANGHAI AMCAREMED TECHNOLOGY Co., LIMITED Order a free sample PDF of the Oxygen Flow Meters Market Intelligence Study, published by Grand View Research.


Secure remote access for an evolving enterprise perimeter
An increasingly mobile workforce, the move to cloud-based applications and the extension of access to consultants and business partners are all blurring the boundaries of the traditional enterprise security perimeter. To keep sensitive data safe while simultaneously enabling workers, organisations need to deploy secure remote access solutions, even when their employees are located in the office.
When corporate resources are scattered across cloud, on-premises and virtualised applications, the need for a single point of management from which to define and enforce consistent access controls becomes critical in ensuring security and transparency.
Addressing remote access security challenges
Thales' SafeNet Trusted Access platform allows organisations to effectively ensure secure remote access to a company’s sensitive resources be they located on-premises or in the cloud, regardless of the end-point device being used.
Thales offers organisations a choice of on-premises and as-a-service authentication platforms while providing a broad integration ecosystem, fully automated workflows and a broad range of form factors and authentication methods that can be deployed side by side to meet usability expectations and assurance levels.
Featuring over-the-air provisioning, user self-service, automated alerts and a selection of soft tokens and tokenless methods, Thales' secure remote access solutions help organisations minimise management overhead, while providing a low TCO and high user convenience.
Benefits of Thales' Secure Remote Access Installs with your current IT ecosystem Easy to manage Easy to use Meets any assurance level As-a-service efficiencies (optional)


The analysis of the antimicrobial benefits of
Populus balsamifera
(1) Long Beach High School, Lido Beach, New York
This study was conducted to explore a new potential treatment for bacterial infections. This study aimed to investigate the antimicrobial properties of the tree species,
Populus balsamifera. The objective was to determine the effectiveness of extract from the buds of P. balsamifera in inhibiting bacterial growth. A Kirby-Bauer assay was used to assess the efficacy of P. balsamifera extract against gram-negative and gram-positive bacterial growth. It was observed that the extract of the buds of P. balsamifera was highly effective against gram-positive bacteria. This helps to indicate the potential use of P. balsamifera in the medical field to eliminate gram-positive bacteria.
This article has been tagged with:


The words “at least your baby is healthy” can profoundly negatively impact a mother who is struggling with her new role. Here’s a closer look at one mom’s journey with PPD + PPA.
I was never one of those who felt like I was born to be a mom. I knew I wanted children one day, but I never felt this strong pull to identify with the role. Fast forward to today, and “mother” is a part of who I am to my core, personally and professionally.
Becoming a mother was the most transformative event in my life. My personal values were changed, and my professional focus shifted.
When my husband and I decided it was time to start a family, I knew the journey may not be easy. I was diagnosed with PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome), and my mother underwent fertility treatments.
After learning more about the uncertainty around what our journey to parenthood may look like, it was suddenly all-consuming and all I could think about.
Fortunately, our first round of IVF was successful, so my focus quickly shifted from “I have to get pregnant” to “I hope the baby is healthy.” I researched miscarriage risk, prenatal vitamins, safe sleep guidelines, bottles, swaddles, and more. You name it, and I read about it.
All except for what the postpartum period is actually like for a new mom.
As my scheduled C-section date neared (due to breech presentation), I had every single onesie washed and put away. Every baby gadget was ready to go, and the car seat was installed. I considered every possibility for things the baby might need those first couple of weeks after delivery. Looking back, I did not think about
what that time might be like for me, physically or emotionally.
Like many women, I had this idea that we are suddenly outfitted with a superwoman cape as soon as we give birth. As if we are instantly equipped with the innate ability to “just know” what to do, an immediate intuition, and an intense surge of love and connection.
It turns out, that none of those things happened to me.
I experienced many things in the postpartum period that are “taboo” topics.
I didn’t connect with my baby right away. I didn’t feel like a nurturer. I experienced intrusive thoughts. I didn’t like the newborn stage. I regretted my decision to have a child. I mourned my loss of freedom.
What I know now that I didn’t realize then is
how common these feelings and experiences are. My idealized view of motherhood, unrealistic expectations, and other risk factors contributed to my experience with postpartum depression and anxiety. I work in mental health, so I was familiar with perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, but not consider that it was something that I could experience.
My daughter was diagnosed with severe reflux and choked in the hospital. We spent the first three weeks bouncing from one doctor’s appointment to another. We were treating a lip and tongue tie, assessing pyloric stenosis, checking weight gain, cutting dairy, and trying every formula under the sun, all while healing from a cesarean.
I convinced myself that “I wasn’t cut out for this,” which really contributed to the anxiety and uncertainty that I was feeling those first few weeks postpartum. With time, I finally saw the light
After walking through several months of learning, healing, and navigating this new world and new role,
I began to see the light. All of the hours I spent researching baby products and sleep schedules when I was pregnant shifted to learning everything I could about “taboo topics” in motherhood. More importantly, understanding the power behind normalizing what new motherhood is really like.
I have made
it my mission to help women be proactive, advocate for themselves. I feel less alone in the transition to motherhood. My hope is that all women will acknowledge their worth and find joy in this unique season.


The European Union’s regulatory proposal for crypto markets, MiCA, has been filed with the European Parliament. The latest version of the draft framework does not feature a controversial provision that could have effectively prohibited cryptocurrencies like bitcoin that rely on proof-of-work mining. Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee to Vote on Latest MiCA Draft on March 14
The EU’s Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) regulations have been submitted to the European Parliament’s Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee (ECON), the rapporteur for the regulatory package, Stefan Berger, announced on Twitter. Members of the committee will vote on the legislation on March 14, 2022, he revealed.
Heute habe ich den finalen MiCA-Entwurf eingereicht. Der ECON-Ausschuss wird am 14. März 2022 hierüber abstimmen
➡ Thread #MiCA
— Stefan Berger (@DrStefanBerger) March 7, 2022
The filed package is missing a text banning companies from providing services for cryptocurrencies based on the proof-of-work mining algorithm (PoW) such as BTC, the coin with the largest market capitalization. The rule was proposed by the factions of the Left, Greens, and Social Democrats, but later removed after sparking a backlash from the crypto industry and community.
Officials and regulators from several EU member states have called for a Union-wide ban on PoW mining which requires more energy than other methods. Sweden insisted on such a measure, citing bitcoin mining’s increasing use of renewable energy at the expense of climate neutrality goals in other sectors of the economy. German representatives have also supported the idea.
“In view of the controversial discussions surrounding the energy consumption of crypto assets, the #taxonomy could provide clarity and ensure a better information basis for consumers,” Berger noted in another tweet. With its taxonomy classification system, the EU is trying to direct investments towards sustainable projects.
The rapporteur further noted that with MiCA, the European Union can set global standards and called on those involved in the process to back the submitted draft. “Strong support for MiCA is a strong signal from the EU Parliament for a technology-neutral and innovation-friendly financial sector,” Stefan Berger elaborated.
The ECON member emphasized that the proposal establishes a regulatory framework that will pioneer innovation, consumer protection, and legal certainty in the crypto space while creating “reliable supervisory structures in the area of crypto assets.”
Once ECON approves the package, MiCA’s implementation will be determined in dialogue between the European Parliament, the Council of the EU, and the European Commission. In February, President of the European Central Bank Christine Lagarde urged the Union to approve the regulations to prevent Russia from using cryptocurrencies to evade sanctions imposed over its invasion of Ukraine.
Do you expect the EU to quickly adopt the Markets in Crypto Assets framework? Let us know in the comments section below. Image Credits: Shutterstock, Pixabay, Wiki Commons Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. It is not a direct offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell, or a recommendation or endorsement of any products, services, or companies. Bitcoin.com does not provide investment, tax, legal, or accounting advice. Neither the company nor the author is responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods or services mentioned in this article.


Effective 121/1/16, all Salary Exempt employees must be earning $47,476 a year per DOL regulations. This new law is being challenged and a hearing was held on 11/16/16 to argue the case. It is expected that a decision will be announced on November 22, 2016. Employers need to comply or be ready to pull the trigger on 12/1/16 if the law is enforced.
The exempt salary threshold more than doubled from $23,660 to $47,476. By now, you should have identified the employees who may be at risk. Your choices are to either increase their pay or reclassify them as hourly non-exempt employees. If you’re reclassifying them, they can still be managers, but now they will need to take and document their meal breaks and be protected as any other hourly employee.
Which are the 21 states? Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texans, Utah and Wisconsin.
Need assistance? Contact your HR Specialist.


Abstract
Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of a parent-based intervention to prevent sexual risk behavior among Latino and African American young adults. This was delivered to mothers while waiting for their adolescent child to complete an annual physical examination. Methods: A randomized clinical trial was conducted with 264 motheradolescent dyads in New York City. Adolescents were eligible for the study only if they were African American or Latino and aged 1114 years, inclusive. Dyads completed a brief baseline survey and were then randomly assigned to one of the following two conditions: (1) a parent-based intervention (n = 133), or (2) a "standard care" control condition (n = 131). Parents and adolescents completed a follow-up survey nine months later. The primary outcomes included whether the adolescent had ever engaged in vaginal sexual intercourse, the frequency of sexual intercourse, and the frequency of oral sex. Results: Relative to the control group, statistically significant reduced rates of transitioning to sexual activity and frequency of sexual intercourse were observed, with oral sex reductions nearly reaching statistical significance (p < .054). Specifically, sexual activity increased from 6% to 22% for young adults in the "standard of care" control condition, although it remained at 6% among young adults in the intervention condition at the 9-month follow-up. Conclusions: A parent-based intervention delivered to mothers in a pediatric clinic as they waited for their child to complete a physical examination may be an effective way to reduce sexual risk behaviors among Latino and African American middle-school young adults.
Keywords Adolescent sexuality Clinic-based intervention Parent-based intervention Pediatricians Sexual risk behavior ASJC Scopus subject areas Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health Psychiatry and Mental health


Abstract
The faithful transmission of DNA methylation patterns through cell divisions is essential for the daughter cells to retain a proper cell identity. To achieve a comprehensive assessment of methylation fidelity, we implemented a genome-scale hairpin bisulfite sequencing approach to generate methylation data for DNA double strands simultaneously. We show here that methylation fidelity increases globally during differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs), and is particularly high in the promoter regions of actively expressed genes and positively correlated with active histone modification marks and binding of transcription factors. The majority of intermediately (40%-60%) methylated CpG dinucleotides are hemi-methylated and have low methylation fidelity, particularly in the differentiating mESCs. While 5-hmC and 5-mC tend to coexist, there is no significant correlation between 5-hmC levels and methylation fidelity. Our findings may shed new light on our understanding of the origins of methylation variations and the mechanisms underlying DNA methylation transmission.
ASJC Scopus subject areas Genetics Genetics(clinical)


Crossing over the Shenandoah River on Morgan’s Ford Bridge in Warren County, the road leads into the Rockland Rural Historic District, a scenic area encompassing more than 10,000 acres of pristine farmland, narrow tree-shaded roadways, beautiful barns and brick farmhouses at the ends of long driveways. In a region full of special areas, the Rockland district stands out for its rich history of fine architectural residences and buildings from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. Several of the estates have preserved their large sizes and configurations for more than 250 years and still operate as working farms.
This rural gem is also noted for Smoke Town (or Leed’s Town), an unusual early emancipated African American settlement. In 1791, Robert Carter III began freeing his enslaved labor force of about 500 African Americans, leading to one of the largest communities of manumitted slaves in the nation before the Civil War.
Of course, no historical designation would be complete without honoring the original Indigenous inhabitants of the area. The Rockland Historic District is noted for its historic road traces and transportation corridors, potentially established by the Native American inhabitants of the area.
“There is a huge amount of history here,” said Wayne Chatfield-Taylor, a landowner in the Rockland Historic District. “Morgan’s Ford is an ancient river crossing and that is why it is so important.”
Chatfield-Taylor also noted that while currently there are three informational signs at Morgan’s Ford that receive a lot of attention, more interpretation of the rich history of the area would be valuable. He is hopeful that the additional archaeological research needed to illuminate a more complete story of this area is more likely to happen with the Rural Historic District designation.
Rural Historic District: What you should know
Virginia Department of Historic Resources administers the Virginia Landmarks Register, which lists historic properties and districts across the state. A historic district is a collection of resources like buildings, sites and objects that share a similar period of development and physical character.
The nomination application for listing a property or district in the state’s register includes historical and geographical information, photographs and maps. It also includes an architectural survey of every building within the proposed area. It is a long and detailed process that can be fascinating and educational for residents, and if successful can unlock rehabilitation tax credits for restoration projects within the district.


BEIJING, November 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — As the world economy reels from the pandemic and geopolitical tensions, even showing signs of recession, China has stabilized its economy with a package of measures, officials and experts said Monday at the 2022 Financial Street Forum, urging cooperation and risk awareness.
Chinese the economy has remained in the recovery stage this year, despite the pressure, showing strong momentum for long-term development, Fu Linghui, a spokesman for the National Bureau of Statistics, said at the forum.
Although faced with complex and difficult international circumstances and other unexpected difficulties, Chinese the economy has shown remarkable resilience and vitality, Fu said.
Reviewing this year, Fu said that China implemented a package of policies to stabilize the economy, turning a second-quarter slump into a third-quarter recovery.
Meanwhile, Fu emphasized that China has actively expanded the opening at a high level.
As the world faces growing risks of recession, China is committed to establishing a new system for a higher-level open economy, including promoting trade and securing port services, he said.
Despite this year’s recovery, officials have also warned of financial risks rooted in high debt and high inflation.
It was a key task for Chinese financial regulators to defend against major financial risks and maintain stability in the sector, Xuan Changneng, Deputy Governor of the National Bank China (PBOC), he said at the forum.
After the 2008 financial crisis, the global community reached a consensus on strengthening the macroprudential management system to avoid financial risk spillovers, Xuan said, noting China made progress in the governance sector with related policies launched over the past few years.
Looking to the future, China is faced with opportunities and challenges, he said Wang Weidongvice president of China Development Bank (CDB), the largest state lender.
The global economic crisis could lead to weaker demand, while spending cuts and investment returns could also be seen at home, he said.
However, China has enough capacity to develop and upgrade the industry, Wang said, concluding that the fundamentals for positive long-term development remain unchanged.
CDB will continue to make efforts to serve the real economy, including stabilizing credit growth and offering more support to key sectors, such as manufacturing, technology, innovation, small and micro enterprises and green industry, he said.
“Development and cooperation are the ‘keys’ to solving global problems and can help countries to face challenges and overcome difficulties,” Peng Chunchairman and chief executive officer of China Investment Corporation, said at the forum.
China is building a dual circulation model with openness as a new development pattern, which will provide more support for a more resilient global supply chain and share new opportunities with the world, Peng said.
https://news.cgtn.com/news/2022-11-22/Officials-voice-confidence-in-China-s-economy-urge-cooperation–1fat2WiPb2g/index.html
SOURCE CGTN


Medication is important especially for elders who need to maintain their health. However, due to memory loss and other factors, some seniors tend to forget about taking their prescriptions. This can lead to a delay in their recovery and other risks that may worsen their condition. To help them avoid that problem, we at Desired Living Home Care aim to remind and assist our residents in taking their prescriptions.
Our staff can manage our residents’ medication through the following: Keeping track of medication schedule Refilling medication Informing the senior’s family about his or her well-being Checking the medication for the expiration date and replacing them immediately
At Desired Living Home Care LLC, ensure your loved one’s constant well-being with the aid of our reliable and trusted staff. Give us a call today!


Real estate investment in Cambodia is increasingly becoming a rewarding option for investors seeking to capitalise on the country’s expanding economy and population. Cambodia boasts a strategic position, a young labour population, and a quickly expanding economy, making it an attractive market for businesses and investors.
In recent years, Cambodia’s economy has been expanding with tremendous speed. It is anticipated that the country’s GDP would reach $36.54 billion by 2025, making it one of the fastest-growing economies in the world.
Young people symbolise a nation’s potential. Cambodia’s population is the youngest, with a median age of 25.6 years. This is beneficial for investors and businesses that require a youthful, energetic staff.
Cambodia’s location in Southeast Asia makes it a suitable base for businesses seeking to grow throughout the area. The nation’s infrastructure is well-developed and it is well-connected to the rest of the world.
Why Invest in Real Estate in Cambodia?
Prices and rents are still very inexpensive, but are rapidly growing as the country becomes more popular with visitors and investors. And now is the ideal time to invest in Cambodia’s real estate market, given the government’s substantial investments in infrastructural projects.
Here are some of the numerous reasons to invest in Cambodian real estate:
Increasing tourist arrivals
Cambodia is becoming a popular tourist destination, as the number of visitors increases each. This is great news for investors, since it suggests that both visitors and corporations are seeking homes in the country.
Improving infrastructure
Several new airports, bridges, and highways are now being developed as part of the Cambodian government’s infrastructure improvement efforts. This makes Cambodia more accessible to foreign investors and visitors, so boosting the economy.
Favourable investment climate
The Cambodian government is eager to attract foreign investment and has enacted many measures to make doing business in the nation simpler for companies. Among these are tax incentives and expedited building permits.
A thriving economy
Cambodia’s economy is expanding swiftly due to the booming tourism industry and a rise in foreign investment. Consequently, property prices and rentals are increasing, which is excellent news for investors.
Cambodia’s GDP increased at an average annual rate of 7.7% from 1998 to 2019, making it one of the world’s fastest-growing economies. This growth rate is mostly attributable to exports of apparel and tourism.
Stable political climate
Cambodia’s political climate is stable, which is crucial for investors. The present government is devoted to maintaining the country’s many years of peace.
Cambodia has emerged as one of the world’s top-performing economies due to the full peace attained by Prime Minister Hun Sen after the civil war in 1999. The rule of law, stability, peace, and democratisation were the impetus for such dramatic progress.
Sociable individuals
The people of Cambodia are noted for their friendliness and eagerness to assist visitors and investors. You will always feel welcome here, which makes it an excellent location for conducting business.
Natural beauty in abundance
Cambodia is a stunningly lovely nation with an abundance of landscapes to explore. From Sihanoukville’s beaches to Angkor Wat’s temples, there is something for everyone to enjoy. This natural beauty is one of the primary reasons Cambodia is such a popular tourist destination, and it is also one of the reasons investing in Cambodian real estate is a sensible decision.
Perfect climate
Cambodia has a tropical climate, meaning that it is always warm. This makes it a wonderful location to live and an attractive tourist destination.
Emerging real estate market
Although still in its infancy, the Cambodian real estate industry is expanding swiftly. This is an opportune moment to invest, since you can get in on the ground floor and potentially earn a substantial return.
Excellent potential for capital growth
Due to the fast expansion of the Cambodian economy and real estate market, there is a significant opportunity for capital appreciation. This indicates that investing in Cambodian real estate now might provide substantial returns in the future.
Notable player making the moves in Cambodia’s Real Estate Market
Chen Zhi Cambodia entrepreneur, with his Prince Holding Group (often known as Prince Group) and the subsidiary business units, are important participants in Cambodia’s real estate sector.
Who is Chen Zhi? Neak Oknha Chen Zhi is the Chairman of Prince Group, and he has contributed significantly to the expansion of the Cambodian real estate market.
Prince Group has become a globally renowned Cambodian conglomerate under Chen Zhi’s leadership. His commitment to sustainable business methods has pushed him to invest in the future of the kingdom.
Prince Group is creating a township project on about one thousand hectares of land in Sihanoukville, along the shoreline of Ream. The project is anticipated to generate up to $16 billion in regional investment, making it one of Cambodia’s premier sustainable real estate initiatives.
The township project would strive to give its people with a good quality of life, with amenities and infrastructure that meet worldwide standards. It will also be eco-friendly and sustainable, with a focus on employing renewable energy sources and green spaces.


In a serious collision, vehicle occupants can suffer catastrophic injuries. From brain trauma and spinal cord damage to broken bones and amputation, drivers and passengers alike can struggle with severe conditions following a crash. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for medical professionals to misdiagnose soft tissue injuries or miss an injury altogether due to a delayed symptom.
After a collision, vehicle occupants often struggle with injuries associated with whiplash. Whiplash itself is the violent back and forth motion that puts enormous strain on the muscles of the neck and upper back. Additionally, this jarring movement can cause the brain to impact the inside of the cranium leading to closed-head traumatic brain injuries (TBI). Unfortunately, many of these symptoms can either lay dormant or do not reach their full severity for hours, days or even weeks after the collision, including:
Blurred vision Fatigue Numbness in the extremities Weakness in muscles in the arms or legs Cognitive impairment Trouble sleeping Memory trouble
Unfortunately, medical professionals often overlook these symptoms as simply being associated with general pain or overall trauma from the collision. They fail to recognize the syndrome itself and symptoms associated with whiplash. These injuries can present months after an injury and last for a significant amount of time without a proper diagnosis and treatment plan.
Following a collision, it is crucial that vehicle occupants immediately seek a thorough medical diagnosis. Even if symptoms seem minor, they could mask a severe injury and devastating condition. Whiplash severity can impact an individual’s ability to maintain gainful employment and live a pain-free life.


While cannabis is increasingly available for medicinal use, doctors largely remain unable to prescribe it to their patients even in the case of using something like full spectrum CBD. Nevertheless, it shows potential for treating patients post-surgery and could perhaps one day reduce reliance on opioids.
"There is a large gap in our understanding of how cannabis can be used to help treat surgical patients," writes Camille Stewart, MD, in an article recently published in JAMA Surgery. "There is a critical need for additional research on the effects of perioperative cannabis with specific attention to postoperative outcomes, not only because of its potential benefits but also because of its current widespread use outside Western medicine."
While cannabis is known to inhibit inflammation and malignancy, so far, these findings have been limited to laboratory experiments. However, other evidence does exist supporting its usage for pain relief, nausea, and insomnia- effects that may decrease reliance on opiates and benzodiazepines post-surgery.
Due to its strict regulation and issues with its purity and homogeneity, surgeons find it difficult to accept or significantly explore its medical effects. Nevertheless, there are currently prospective trials exploring applications for cannabis on surgical patients.
"The differences in state laws between cannabis and all other controlled substances and its current listing as a Schedule I drug by the DEA add a layer of difficulty to studying its potential benefits in high-quality prospective clinical research. High-quality research on cannabis will likely not be possible unless it is treated as all other medications to ensure proper dosing, safety, and homogeneity." writes Stewart.
While cannabis has hardly been studied for surgical applications, some research has recently been published showing how general cannabis use affects a patient's need for anesthetics during surgery. From a retrospective study, researchers found that those who used cannabis prior to surgery tended to need higher anesthetic doses during surgery than those who did not use the substance.


The OncLive Gastrointestinal Cancer condition center page is a comprehensive resource for clinical news and expert insights on various types of gastrointestinal (GI) cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma, gastric cancer, pancreatic cancer, colorectal cancer, cholangiocarcinoma, esophageal cancer, and more. This page features news articles, interviews in written and video format, and podcasts that focus on unmet needs, treatment advances, and ongoing research in GI cancers.
Liver injury can occur within 2 weeks of starting therapy with a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, although it can also be seen as late as 2 months, describes Tanios S. Bekaii-Saab, MD, making vigilance key for proper mitigation of this adverse event.
Comprehensive discussion on the real-world applications of first-line lenvatinib therapy in advanced HCC followed by its potential in combination with TACE.
Expert oncologists take a look at clinical trial data as they pertain to prevalent first-line systemic therapy options in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.
Focused discussion on chemotherapy treatment options commonplace in patients with advanced or metastatic biliary tract cancers.
The accelerated approval of the FGFR inhibitor futibatinib on September 30, 2022, has expanded options for previously treated adult patients with unresectable, locally advanced, or metastatic intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma FGFR2 fusions or rearrangements.1
Shifting their focus to the advanced disease setting, panelists provide a comprehensive overview on systemic treatment modalities used in biliary tract cancers.
Lutetium-177-FAP-2286 produced preliminary evidence of antitumor activity with a manageable safety profile in patients with advanced or metastatic solid tumors, according to data from the phase 1/2 LuMIERE trial.
Tanios S. Bekaii-Saab, MD, describes the hepatotoxicity commonly seen with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and how to monitor and detect it with aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT).
Tanios S. Bekaii-Saab, MD, describes the common adverse events associated with each type of tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), which are specific to the targets hit by that TKI and commonly include fatigue and hepatotoxicity.
Do-Youn Oh, MD, PhD, highlights the nuances of the TOPAZ-1 trial data that signal new pathways forward for investigative efforts in advanced biliary tract cancers.
In the context of the first patient profile, expert panelists consider which factors play into their selection of first-line systemic agents in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.
Focusing on the first patient profile of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma, Andrea Casadei-Gardini, MD, reviews his selection and use of first-line lenvatinib therapy.
John L. Marshall, MD, provides an overview of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and discusses several key updates to the treatment landscape, including putting data in the context of the treatment algorithm.
Shared practical advice on the management of toxicities associated with antibody drug conjugate therapy in both the breast cancer and GI cancer settings.
Before closing out their discussion on HER2+ gastric cancer, experts review clinical trials investigating other novel ADC agents in this setting.
Representatives from Elevar Therapeutics and the FDA held a positive pre–new drug application meeting to discuss the combination of rivoceranib and camrelizumab as a potential therapeutic option for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.


When:
July 14, 2022 @ 12:30 pm – 1:00 pm
2022-07-14T12:30:00-04:00
2022-07-14T13:00:00-04:00
Register here. Should I Stay or Should I Go? (Shelter In Place or Evacuation)
Long-Term Care Emergency Preparedness Educational Series
The Patient Safety Authority (PSA) is starting a 12-month long-term care emergency preparedness educational series, as identified by respondents of the 2020 PA LTCF annual survey.
Pennsylvania is vulnerable to multiple threats and hazards, including severe weather, hazardous materials spill, active shooter, terrorism, and infectious disease outbreak. While each of these threats is itself a problem, they may also disrupt power, telephone, and potable water delivery, as well as access to provisions such as food, staffing, medical supplies, and gasoline—making disaster preparedness critical to the safety of long-term care facilities.
This series aims to provide resources for facilities to develop their emergency preparedness plan to protect the lives and property of residents, staff, and visitors.


Idiopathic Hypocalcemia
Hypocalcemia, or low calcium concentrations in blood, can be due to a wide variety of causes. Hypocalcemia impairs maneuverability of limbs and weakens bones. Severe hypocalcemia may also result in seizures, muscle fasciculations, ileus, tachycardia, synchronous diaphragmatic flutter, and ataxia. In horses, many cases of hypocalcemia are due to hypoparathyroidism or sepsis. However, there appears to be an inherited form of hypocalcemia in Thoroughbred foals for which the cause has not yet been determined. It is hypothesized that idiopathic hypocalcemia in Thoroughbred foals is due to a genetic mutation. Currently, this idiopathic disease has only been identified in Thoroughbreds. All clinically affected foals die or are euthanized due to the severity of this disorder. In a joint effort with Dr. Gary Magdesian, our lab is currently investigating a potential genetic mutation responsible for idiopathic hypocalcemia of Thoroughbred foals.
Are you concerned that your foal may have Idiopathic Hypocalcemia? Contact our lab for more information on how you can aid in equine genetic research.


Team-Focused Feedback Loop Board membership is a team sport—success requires each member, individually, and the whole team, collectively, to work toward common goals.
High-performing boards take time to evaluate and develop individual members and the teamwork itself. By engaging in a peer review, they give members an opportunity to consider their own contributions as well as those of their colleagues, and to understand how others view their contributions.
Our Board Peer Review injects objectivity into this process, creating a team-focused feedback loop that encourages personal development in a “safe,” non-comparative, and unbiased manner. This review highlights the collective strengths and development opportunities for the whole group, while separately providing individual members with confidential feedback that underscores the contributions they are valued for as well as the areas they might want to develop. Actionable Results & Insights Support individual directors to perform at their peak Gathers feedback on directors' demonstration of foundational board norms and specific competencies Aggregate reporting reveals collective strengths and skills of the board as well as areas for improvement Highlights individual contributions and areas where peers would like to see more involvement - an excellent way to add objective feedback during re-election periods
Request Meeting


Strengthen the implementation of energy NDCs to limit global warming
With increasing demand for energy due to population growth and economic growth comes concern about the impact on global warming. The 2015 Paris Agreement aims to keep global warming “well below” 2°C, and preferably below 1.5°C by 2100 compared to pre-industrial levels. Thus, countries have pledged to reduce their carbon emissions as part of their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). A positive trend towards a reduction in global temperature below 1.5°C by 2100 is visible, but it is still far from reaching it.
The electricity sector is the largest source of energy-related CO2 emissions, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA), contributing around 32% of global greenhouse gases. The main sources of electricity generation, according to the IEA, are coal, which produces about 74% of CO2 emissions, gas (21%) and oil (5%). The World Resources Institute’s State of Climate Action 2021 reports that global carbon emissions from electricity generation have risen from 643 grams of CO2 per kilowatt-hour (gCO2/kWh) in 1990 to 525 gCO2/kWh in 2018 The European Union (EU) had achieved a 40% reduction in carbon emissions from 1990 to 2017. China is reducing its carbon emissions while maintaining its high economic growth rate. However, the report says global carbon emissions would need to be reduced to 50-125 gCO2/kWh by 2030 and zero by 2050 if we are to meet the 2°C target by the end of the 21st century. century.
The Climate Action Tracker (CAT), 2020 observes a “gap” in government actions to improve their Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) targets since the Paris Agreement in 2015. It indicates that 127 countries, announced in November 2020, are responsible for approximately 63% of emissions committed to net zero emissions by 2050. Major emitters such as the EU, China and the United States have submitted their net zero emissions targets. But their current climate change mitigation policies have failed to achieve the ideal goal of net zero emissions, instead they have produced a 0.8°C warmer temperature. To achieve their net zero targets, therefore, this suggests the need to strengthen their NDC targets for the 2030 targets and close the remaining emissions gap to 1.5°C. Nonetheless, they appreciate India’s actions to reduce its carbon emissions, which is in line with the global objective of 2°C.
The global energy goals are sufficient to bring the global temperature below 1.5°C. Efforts by countries have helped bring down the global temperature. According to the CAT, 2020 real-world action results from the 2020 estimate of 2.9°C global warming by 2100 showing a drop of 0.7°C from the 2015 estimate of 3 .6°C. This drop is the result of a combination of past efforts, including implementing the NDC, increasing renewable energy consumption, reducing coal consumption as well as a temporary economic downturn due to the global Covid-19 pandemic. Despite this, real-world action is still far from meeting the Paris Agreement’s long-term temperature goal of limiting warming to 1.5°C.
A recent example of progressive government responses to the Covid-19 pandemic has been their reaffirmed commitment to renewable energy. In 2020, IEA data indicates a significant contribution of around 29% to global electricity generation from renewable sources, including hydro, geothermal, solar, wind, tidal, biofuels and municipal renewable energies. However, its share is expected to reach 55% by 2030 and 98-100% by 2050. Thus, the focus on strengthening the implementation of their emission control strategies for the 2030 targets should be aligned with long-term goals for 2050 goals.
(Mehdi Hussain, Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, Kirori Mal College and PhD Researcher, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University)


Abstract
Multiblock copolymers with charged blocks are complex systems that show great potential for enhancing the structural control of block copolymers. A pentablock terpolymer PMMA-b-PDMAEMA-b-P2VP-b-PDMAEMA-b-PMMA is investigated. It contains two types of midblocks, which are weak cationic polyelectrolytes, namely poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA) and poly(2-vinylpyridine) (P2VP). Furthermore, these are end-capped with short hydrophobic poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) blocks in dilute aqueous solution and thin films. The self-assembly behavior depends on the degrees of ionization α of the P2VP and PDMAEMA blocks, which are altered in a wide range by varying the pH value. High degrees of ionization of both blocks prevent structure formation, whereas microphase-separated nanostructures form for a partially charged and uncharged state. While in solutions, the nanostructure formation is governed by the dependence of the P2VP block solubility of the and the flexibility of the PDMAEMA blocks on α, in thin films, the dependence of the segregation strength on α is key. Furthermore, the solution state plays a crucial role in the film formation during spin-coating. Overall, both the mixing behavior of the 3 types of blocks and the block sequence, governing the bridging behavior, result in strong variations of the nanostructures and their repeat distances.


The solution
Myriad were asked to participate in the project developing an overall approach to the surveying method, data capture from tablets, mobiles and wearable devices, and a dashboard to portray results and enable analysis.
The solution needed to be easy to use so the University team could manage as much of the ongoing use themselves but also powerful enough to help the team analyse large, complex data sets.
We wanted the data collection to be the perfect balance between detailed and frictionless for the end user. By leveraging smart watches and smart phones we were able to gather data from devices that the study participants would be happy to use every day. The connectivity between these devices and our platform was seamless so we had a live feed of good quality data always ready for the research team to analyse.
Myriad provided a comprehensive solution and continues to support the University team as the study progresses and helps protect Healthcare workers suffering from COVID-19.
The impact
The research team have been able to spend more time on analysing the data than usual as the Myriad built platform has streamlined the data collection and visualisation process. This is allowing the specialists at the University to focus on identifying crucial insight from the research and on solutions for the frontline healthcare workers being impacted by COVID-19.


Publications
Fohringer C, Dudka I, Spitzer R, Stenbacka F, Rzhepishevska O, Cromsigt JPGM, Gröbner G, Ericsson G, Singh NJ
Ecol Evol
11 (7) 3159-3183[2021-04-00; online 2021-03-04]
With accelerated land conversion and global heating at northern latitudes, it becomes crucial to understand, how life histories of animals in extreme environments adapt to these changes. Animals may either adapt by adjusting foraging behavior or through physiological responses, including adjusting their energy metabolism or both. Until now, it has been difficult to study such adaptations in free-ranging animals due to methodological constraints that prevent extensive spatiotemporal coverage of ecological and physiological data.Through a novel approach of combining DNA-metabarcoding and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-based metabolomics, we aim to elucidate the links between diets and metabolism in Scandinavian moose Alces alces over three biogeographic zones using a unique dataset of 265 marked individuals.Based on 17 diet items, we identified four different classes of diet types that match browse species availability in respective ecoregions in northern Sweden. Individuals in the boreal zone consumed predominantly pine and had the least diverse diets, while individuals with highest diet diversity occurred in the coastal areas. Males exhibited lower average diet diversity than females.We identified several molecular markers indicating metabolic constraints linked to diet constraints in terms of food availability during winter. While animals consuming pine had higher lipid, phospocholine, and glycerophosphocholine concentrations in their serum than other diet types, birch- and willow/aspen-rich diets exhibit elevated concentrations of several amino acids. The individuals with highest diet diversity had increased levels of ketone bodies, indicating extensive periods of starvation for these individuals.Our results show how the adaptive capacity of moose at the eco-physiological level varies over a large eco-geographic scale and how it responds to land use pressures. In light of extensive ongoing climate and land use changes, these findings pave the way for future scenario building for animal adaptive capacity.
PubMed 33841775
DOI 10.1002/ece3.7265
Crossref 10.1002/ece3.7265


Regional pronunciations can result from the phonological contact between a standard language and its dialectal substrate. Such pronunciations might be less diversified compared to their substrate dialects, since regional varieties ...read more
“Friend” or “Infernal Monster”? Comic and Tragic Representations of the Turk and the ‘Self’ in Sixteenth-Century Venetian Theatre aims to understand dramatizations of Turks and ‘Selfs’ in the Venetian Republic, ...read more
There is still a widespread view that Rome’s expanding economic influence over the Mediterranean in the Late Republic (ca. 200-50 BC) triggered a dramatic change in Italy’s wine industry. This ...read more
Owing to their visual essence and status as a popular, modern medium, comics – newspaper strips, comics magazines and graphic novels – provide valuable insight into the transformation of collective consciousness. This project advances ...read more
This project aims to study the functional range and the alternating uses of four types of presentational constructions (prosodic inversion, syntactic inversion, syntactic inversion with filler insertion and syntactic split) in ...read more
This project systematically relates scripting of rituals of inclusion and exclusion to societal developments in the Central Middle Ages (10th-12th centuries). So far, scholarship in this field has relied on ...read more


Abstract
Cost-efficient strategies for protecting structural elements against the effects of explosive detonations are of interest for vulnerable infrastructure. Dynamic loading due to both blast pressures and impact from fragments are of concern. This investigation focuses on the protection of concrete structural elements against impact damage. A recent experimental study by the authors demonstrated that an elastomer coating can provide a significant impact mitigating effect when applied to the impacted face of a concrete substrate. Preliminary numerical results have indicated that the elastomer serves to alter the details of damage initiation in the concrete, though there remains a limited understanding of the protective effects at play. In this work, a numerical investigation is performed to determine the mechanisms of impact damage initiation exhibited by a concrete circular cylinder of diameter, 100 mm and height, 100 mm when impacted by a 0.1 kg circular cylindrical (i.e. blunt) projectile, travelling at velocities in the range 5–150 m s
−1. The influence of applying a 5 mm elastomer coating on these damage mechanisms is assessed. At the lowest impact velocities, the concrete remains undamaged, though the sub-surface stress state is influenced by the polymer coating. At higher impact velocities, two distinct damage initiation mechanisms are observed. Damage Mechanism 1 is characterised by immediate, severe concrete damage initiating under the indenter corner. Damage Mechanism 2 is characterised by more diffuse, sub-surface damage. Adding a polymer coating serves to shift damage initiation from Damage Mechanism 1–2, delaying the onset of severe concrete damage. Simplified 1D and 2D numerical models are employed to interrogate how the elastomer achieves this effect. Two protective effects are identified: (i) a temporal effect causing a reduction in the magnitude of peak acceleration and an increase in contact duration between projectile and target and (ii) a spatial effect where the stress concentration under the indenter corner is removed. Keywords coating concrete damage elastomer Impact mechanisms ASJC Scopus subject areas Building and Construction Safety, Risk, Reliability and Quality Mechanics of Materials


Dzegvi kids outside the newly renovated Dzegvi building.
AFG is partnering with Enovus, a solar and green energy company in Georgia, to
install solar power at Dzegvi Shelter Community.
Dzegvi Shelter Community houses 88 individuals on average per year, roughly 20 percent are children under 18. The shelter is supported by funds from American Friends of Georgia that pay for electricity and other communal expenditures.
Artist’s render of soloar panels at Dzegvi Shelter
AFG has been asked to contribute $15,000 toward the total cost of the project, estimated at $61,000.00, which includes equipment, installation, maintenance, outreach and education. Enovus is contributing $6,000 in in-kind labor and support. AFG has applied to USAID for a grant of the remaining $40,000. We hope that you will contribute to AFG’s efforts to make the Dzegvi Shelter Community sustainable.
Our plan for installing solar power at Dzegvi Shelter entails purchasing, installing,
and managing an 80 Kilowatt solar station for the Dzegvi Shelter enabling the
community to become more energy independent and freeing up community funds
for other needs, including food, healthcare, and education. The project includes
an exciting educational outreach component that will bring school children
and university students from across Georgia to Dzegvi Shelter for seminars and
training sessions using the solar installation at the Shelter to raise awareness of
the renewable energy solutions in Georgia and draw young people into the field of
sustainable energy technologies.


Picton Mahoney Asset Management has listed four actively managed ETFs on Toronto Stock Exchange, providing exposure to a range of alternative investment strategies.
The listings include a brand new fund as well as ETF share classes for three existing Picton Mahnoey ‘Fortified Alternative’ mutual funds.
Each of the four funds incorporates the firm’s proprietary Fortified Investing approach – a rules-based process focused on managing risk by mitigating downside exposure while seeking to build long-term wealth, regardless of market conditions.
“We recognize the need for Canadian investors to have choice in how they invest in and access differentiated solutions that can fortify their portfolios,” said David Picton, President & Portfolio Manager at Picton Mahoney.
“It’s a perfect time to bolster our family of Fortified Alternative solutions with the benefits of new ETF classes and add a total return income alternative strategy to the line-up.”
The three ETFs born out of existing mutual funds are as follows:
The
Picton Mahoney Fortified Active Extension Alternative Fund (PFAE CN) aims to provide long-term capital appreciation with similar volatility to traditional equity markets. The fund employs a long/short strategy within the Canadian equity universe, targeting a net long exposure of 100% by investing 130% of assets long while selling 30% of assets short. Its benchmark is the S&P/TSX Composite Index.
The
Picton Mahoney Fortified Market Neutral Alternative Fund (PFMN CN) aims to provide long-term capital appreciation with less volatility and low correlation to traditional equity markets. The fund employs a true market neutral equity strategy, aiming for a zero average equity market beta. According to Picton Mahoney, the strategy offers diversification and serves as a complement to typical long-biased portfolios by reducing the impact of drawdowns.
The
Picton Mahoney Fortified Multi-Strategy Alternative Fund (PFMS CN) aims to provide consistent capital appreciation with low correlation to traditional balanced or diversified strategies. The fund utilizes a proprietary multi-layered investment process based on modern portfolio construction techniques to determine its allocation, utilizing traditional and alternative assets classes, factor risk premia strategies, and alpha processes. A discretionary hedge layer is available to tactically enhance the fund’s return.
The new addition is the
Picton Mahoney Fortified Income Alternative Fund (PFIA CN) which aims to maximize total return through income and capital appreciation by investing in corporate bonds while mitigating capital loss through shorting and other hedging strategies.
Phil Mesman, Head of Fixed Income at Picton Mahoney, commented, “We’re in an environment where investors need to think differently about income investing – with low yields and increasing volatility, traditional bonds will have a hard time delivering. Investors need alternative income strategies and tools to augment their income portfolios. The Picton Mahoney Fortified Income Alternative Fund aims to address this need.”
Each ETF comes with a management fee of 0.95% and charges a performance fee of 20% of performance above either its benchmark or a 2% hurdle rate with a perpetual high watermark.


Despite the surge in COVID cases and the complications it brings, the U.S. economy continues to thrive. Workers are steadily returning to the labor force; the unemployment rate is currently under 4% and consumers are still spending confidently.
Until the omicron surge subsides, the biggest economic risk will be the millions of workers who report sick and hamper already beleaguered supply chains. The impacts for food and agriculture sectors will vary significantly by product but will generally be less severe than earlier in the pandemic, according to a new quarterly report from CoBank's Knowledge Exchange.
"Economic risks from new, high-impact coronavirus variants will remain throughout 2022," says Dan Kowalski, vice president of CoBank's Knowledge Exchange division. "But Americans are increasingly making peace with the notion that the virus, in some form, will be with us for months if not years, and we must find a way to live more normally with it. This shifting mindset will de-risk the economy to some degree."
As of late December, the U.S. has regained 84% of the jobs lost since the pandemic began, equating to a deficit of 3.6 million fewer workers compared to early 2020. The supply chain outlook has improved due to more workers in warehousing and transportation. Since May 2020, the U.S. has added 800,000 jobs in the two sectors, eclipsing the pre-COVID number of jobs by 3%.
As the labor market inches closer to full employment, any last arguments for the Federal Reserve to maintain its highly accommodative monetary policy are losing their merit. With the market now anticipating a sea change in monetary policy, the tightening of financial conditions has begun.
Grains, farm supply and biofuels Corn and soybean futures prices traded higher in the fourth quarter, reaching six-month highs at the end of December. Grain exports are recovering after barge movement disruptions caused by Hurricane Ida lingered into the fourth quarter. However, combined corn, soybean and wheat shipments to China have fallen by one-third compared to last season. Partially offsetting the decline in Chinese buying, combined exports of corn, soybeans and wheat to Mexico increased by 24%.
Farm supply cooperatives and ag retailers enjoyed a profitable fall season amid high crop prices, strong farmer cash flows and favorable harvest conditions. Fertilizer prices continued to climb, increasing approximately 20% in Q4 and 160% versus the year prior. Input cost inflation, crop protection product shortages and labor challenges could threaten farm supply margins through the spring 2022 planting season and potentially beyond.
Ethanol production rebounded to pre-COVID levels and Q4 profit margins rose to all-time records, currently averaging $1.34/gallon. Production reached a record 17 billion gallons annualized for two consecutive weeks in late October, before settling down to 16.3 billion at year end.
Animal protein and dairy U.S. animal protein production moved moderately higher through Q4, but supplies remain under pressure due to robust demand. Combined production of red meat and poultry set a November record of 8.9 billion pounds, 3.5% larger than a year earlier. Ending stocks of poultry were down to five-year lows, and pork inventories hit 12-year lows. Meanwhile, fourth quarter wholesale meat indexes were 25% higher year-over-year, reflecting the heightened demand for animal proteins.
China's imports of animal protein have slowed significantly from their record peaks during the summer months. For U.S. producers, reliance on China has waned for poultry and pork, while the opportunities for beef remain robust. The 2022 outlook for sales to China remains mixed, as the nation's hog inventory has rebounded but African swine fever remains a wild card. China's growing affinity for U.S. beef has made beef producers optimistic.
Milk supplies tightened further in Q4 as the U.S. dairy herd continued to shrink, particularly in the West and Southwest regions of the United States where feed availability remains a persistent challenge. However, signs of prosperity are on the horizon as heifer prices rise, dairy cow slaughter moderates and farm sales slow. Class III milk futures traded on the CME ended 2021 above $20/cwt after starting the year below $18/cwt.
Cotton, rice and specialty crops Cotton futures prices hit $1.20/lb. in late November, the highest close in over a decade. But news of the omicron variant hit shortly thereafter, and cotton futures dropped 10-15 cents. Nonetheless, prices held above the longer-term upward trend that began in April 2020. However, despite the nearly two-year bull market, there is an increasing threat of downside risk as global stocks appear to be ample.
Rough rice futures languished in Q4 amid abundant exportable supplies in India and declining export price competitiveness. Persistent weakness in the Brazilian real has been a headwind to U.S. rice as Brazilian rice exports are more competitive in Western Hemisphere markets. U.S. export sales commitments for all rice in the current marketing year are down 36% year-over-year and shipments are down 5%.
The sugarbeet harvest is complete and record yields are expected following ideal growing conditions across the upper U.S growing region. U.S. sugar deliveries for human consumption have grown a combined 2.1% over the past two years. The question for 2022 is whether wholesale prices approaching 50 cents/lb. will finally put a crimp in sugar consumption.
The producer price index for specialty crops climbed sharply last quarter as smaller harvests drove farmgate prices higher. The rise in fruit and vegetable prices is due mostly to the persistent drought across the U.S. West that cut production through lower acreage and yields. The smaller tree nut harvest this fall is also sending almond, walnut and pistachio prices higher for both growers and consumers.
Power, water and communications Natural gas and coal prices soared to multi-year highs in 2021 as buyers scrambled to line up sufficient supply ahead of winter. Last year's massive economic reboot and the inability of producers to keep up was largely to blame for energy supply shortfalls and run-away prices. However, some argue that energy transition played a role in high fuel prices as collective weaning from fossil fuels hobbles supplier response. The energy crisis playing out in Europe appears to support that analysis.
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act provides $15 billion for lead pipe removal, a far cry from the $45 billion likely required. However, as the largest pay-out in a generation, the funding could make a meaningful dent in addressing this problem. Success of the current program will depend, in part, on how funds are spent.
The $65 billion in new broadband funding is triple the size of the Rural Development Opportunity Fund (RDOF), which was the largest federal government broadband subsidy program. States will receive two-thirds of the funding to build networks in unserved and underserved areas. By tapping into local knowledge of where coverage is needed and who can build it, the Federal Communications Commission appears to have learned from the shortcomings of previous programs.
Source: CoBank, which is solely responsible for the information provided, and wholly own the information. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset.


Today, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield announced that the United States, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is providing $15 million in humanitarian assistance to support some of the most vulnerable communities in the West Bank and Gaza.
With this assistance, USAID is supporting Catholic Relief Services’ COVID-19 response efforts in health care facilities and affected communities throughout the West Bank and Gaza. This assistance is also supporting emergency food assistance programming in communities facing food insecurity, which has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
This critical assistance is provided to address the most urgent humanitarian needs in the West Bank and Gaza. It also reflects the United States’ renewed commitment to the Palestinian people, as well as our efforts around the world to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and food insecurity.
Last updated: July 18, 2022